Headlight-dimmer.



C. B. GAMBLE @L F. C, SHEPARD.

HEADUGHT DIMMER.

APFLCATION FILED APR. 8, 1916. LQQUQ. Pmented Feb. 6, 1917.

NETE@ im@ CHARLES B. GAMBLE ANI) FREDERICK C.

sans anni A.

SHEPARD, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESI.

HnAnmGHr-DIMMER.

imanes.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 191'?.

eyplicetion filed April 8, 1916. Serial No. 89,785.

To all whom t may concern." Be it known that we, CHARLES B. GAMBLE .and FREDERICK C. Srmrsnn, citizens oi? the 'United States, residents ol Minneapolis,

county of Hennepin, State oi? Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful linproveniente in Headlight-Dimmers, eil which the following is e. specication.

The object of our invention is to provide a means for dimming the headilghts oi au Atomobiles, trucks, street ears and the like,

i in the rural districts.

A further object is to provide an inexpensive device which can be attached to an ordinary headlight without material modiiieatien.v

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists kgenerally in vari-v ous constructions and combinations; all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this s pecication, l

Figure 1 is a view of a headlight with our improved dimmer applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a detail View, showing the electromagnets and cores therefor' arranged when energized to attract the armature to shift the dimmer blades,

VFig. 3 is a detail view, showing the man ner of mounting the shutters on hladeson the dimmer in the rear ei the lig t lens,

Figs-..4 and 5 are detail views, showing the manner of mounting the diininer blades,

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified, construction of a blades.

In the drawing, 2 represents a headlight of the ordinary type now generally used in modern cars. rli`his light is provided With-a coneshaped reflector 3 and with a door 4 for the lens 5. il is a ring; in the form oii a Z-bar in cross section, secured by clips 7 to the door and provided with a flange 8 in n plane parallel with the plane of the lens in which the dimmer blades are mounted. These blades, which l will designate by rei"- erencc numeral l), are preferably of sheet Metab-.fand substantially of the same form,

mechanical dev-ice for operating the d but vary in length and width to adapt them for the different positions in the door of the lanip. Them blades havekey-hole slots' 10 and 11 formed therein and the iiange 8 has similar slots to coperate with the slots 10 when the dimmer blades are mounted in the rang and form a hinge support at each end of the blades. provided, made preferably of angle iron andhaviug slots therein to coperate with A semi-circular band 12 isl the slots 11, said band heilig in a plane parallel with the plane of the ring 6 and heldin place thereon by spring clips 13. A. spring 14 is provlded at the top of the band 12 for normally holding it in position to present the longitudinal edges o-"the dirn-` nier blades to the rays of lightfandpresent practically no obstruction to the passage ,of Y

the rays, vertical .movement oi the'band`12 to tilt the dimmer blades heingagainst the tension of the spring lei. An'armatnre 15 1s mounted in the lamp 2 andprovided with'` a core 16 having a forwardly turned endthat is adjacent to the steelfband 12 so that when this cere isenergizedby the closing of the circuit through the electrofmagnet, the band 12 will be attractedto swing the blades from the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2 to that-shownin dottedlines, whereupon .the rays; of light will bevob structed and while the upper portion of the lens will appear light to an observer standing in front of the'car, there will be no brilliant rays projected to dazzle the driver of an approaching car or a pedestrian. Y

The eiectro-magnet 15 is connected with a conductor 17 which leads to-a battery B and switch S. Contactpoints 18 and 19 areprovided and when the switch isin circuit with the contact 19 the current will he directed from the batteries through the magnets to energize the core' thereoi 4The Vcontact 18 is in a branch circuit 20 having a resistance coil 21 therefor, so that when the switch is shifted from the point 19 to the point 18 the power of the magnet will he reduced but will be sufficient to hold the armature band inthe positi-cn indicated by dotted lines in Fig.2,

the rays of light through the lens. As soon as the switch is moved to break the circuit,

the tension of the spring 14 will return the blades to their Anormal open or horizontal position.

The diilerent positions, of the blades are indicated by the section lines in Fig. fl, the normal or open position being shown by t'ull lines in section, while the dotted lilies indicate the raised position o't' the armature and the blades in their inclined or dimming position.

Fig. 5 illustrates a horizontal sectional view through the ring and the armature and the manner of mounting the blades thereon.

In Fig. 6 affnodiied construction is shown, which consists in providing a slide 22 having guides 225 on the .l-amp, one end off the slide being connected to the armature l2, and a bell crank :2l being pivoted at 25 and having a loose connection at 2G with the slide. The oppositeend of the bell crank has an ad `instable connection,r with a wire which extends to a point within convenient reach otl the driver of the car. A coil 28 incloses this wire and braces it su'ticiently to allow the driver to apply pressure lengthwise of the wire to shift the bell crank l and the semi-circula armature band to close or open the dimmer blades as may be desired.

This device is designed for use particularly on the city streetswhere the blinding glare ot' the headlights ,is objectionable, the circuit being closed through the magnets as long as it may be, desired to vuse the dimmer, connection being made with the dynamo and batterycircuit of the car. When the car approaches a countryI road or the outl,vi,ng districts of the city, where the streets are poorly lighted or not at all, the circuit may be broken, whereupon the'spring will return the dinnner blades to their normalA horizontal position and the undimrned rays from the headlight will then be thrown in advance of the car in the ordinary way.

We claim as our invention:

l. The combination, with a headlight and its reflector, and a lens and a lens cap therefor, otl a ring mollnted in the rear ot saidl'riis and having oppositely arranged slots therein, dimmer blades having slotted ends to enter the slots in said ring and mounted lo oscillate with respect thereto, said blades extending across the upper halt substantially ot' said lens, means for tilting said blades to divert the rays ol light downwardly, and means for returning said blades to their normal position.

2. The combination, with a headlight and its rellector and a lens and a lens cap therelor, ola ring mounted in the rear ol said lens, a semi-circular band arranged in the rear ot the upper portion oi' said ring, dimmer blades having their ends loosely mounted in said ring and also in said band, ilu-ans supporting said band on said ring and permitting its vertical movement with .-espect thereto, and mechanism for raising -sistance coil Lalanne and lowering said band to close or open said blades. .i 6

3. The combination, with a headlight, of a plurality of dimmer blades having slotted ends, a curved member having slotstoreceive the ends oll said blades :tor` oscillation in the rear ot' the light lens, an armature con- 70 nected with said blades for oscillating them simultaneously, electro-magnets havingtheir pole pieces adjacent to said armature, and a switch for controlling the electric ciicuit4 through said magnets.

4. The combination, with a headlight, of'a plurality of dimmer blades, a` member hai'- ing opposing slots to receive the ends ot'. said blades, an armature having slots ltoreceive said blades for oscillating them simub -80 taneously,electro-magnets having their poleV pieces adjacent to said armature, an electric, circuit for said magnets, a switch,1contact?` points therefor in said circuit7 and` afrein circuit with one of said con- 285"4 tact points.

5. The combination, with a headlight',.o a plurality oi: dimmer blades mounted ilio'rxr oscillation in the rear of the light lens, an armature, semi-circular in form, connecter. with said blades for oscillating them simul taneously, a spring for normally holdings said blades in position to direct the rays vof light forwardly through sa-id lens, an elec-:fl tro-magnet having its pole pieces adjacentto 195'?? said armature and an electric lcircuit fori' said magnet, the energizing ot'said magnet attracting .'aid armature to tilt saidbladesr to an oblique position, and meansfor returniing said blades to. their normal positionelwhen the circuitis broken vthrough Jsi magnet. (l. 'The combination, with a headligh a its rellector and a lens and lens cap therefti ot' a series ot' dimmer blades mountecv ...to oscillate in the rear olI said lens and extc ing across the same. said dimmer blades ha'i ing slotted ends and a curved member `baiv ing slots therein .ior receiving said dimmer r blades 'for tilting them simultanei'nlslyg'aint-1104 means tor operati-ng said curved memberl' j 7. The combination, with a headlight, o a plurality ot dimmer blades arranged'l'in i parallel relation and having bearii'igsuat their ends in the rear ot' the light lens anc `free to rock in said bearings, a eurved'member partially encircling said blades and hasr- `f`f ing means for engagement with the enrllsw thereof for 'rocking said blades 4in l`the b airings, and means for moving saida'urvt member vertically to operate said blades.

ln witness whereof, we have hereii'nto"'s'etf,y our hands this 17 day of March 1916.y 5

errantes n. GAMnLr. L aannemen e. sanieren. i 

